The Conquest of the Labyrinth
-
By Xavren

The passageways twist and turn, their random placement resembling that of a
complex dance. Large stalagmites, jutting up from the ground, seem to reach
out at anyone who passes. A cool breeze drifts through the rooms, creating
waves of chill, and everything seems to react to it. The moon creates a blue
glow that fills the area, lighting everything in sight. The smell of manure
and fresh blood fills the area. A sense of destruction and death hangs over
these tunnels.

Suddenly, this peaceful silence is shattered as a snarling beast furiously
enters the room. He is an immense creature. He has hoofed feet and hairy legs
with knees facing behind him, allowing him to run swiftly. He has the body of
a man, but it is covered in hair. His arms are rippling with muscles, and
elongated claws extend from his fingers, which look like they could shred
through steel. His face is that of a bull, with thick viscous drool dripping
off his teeth, which resemble incisors. He has two magnificent horns, used in
battle to charge at and gore his prey. The most intimidating part of him is
his enormous battle-axe, which has much value in gold. It possesses magical
powers which it bestows on is wielder and it compels toward its target.

The Minotaur glances around the room, searching for something. He walks to a
wall, and examines it. He scans the dirt for fresh footprints. He finds a bit
of shredded clothing, and sniffs it, trying to find some scent that might lead
him to his prey. He snarls as he finds nothing, and continues on his search.

A gray beast, resembling a large rock with arms and legs, jumps out at a
wandering knight attacking him, and powerfully smashes his leg to pieces. The
young man barely dodges another of the golem's attacks, and with one fell
swoop, utterly massacres the golem, leaving a bloody corpse on the ground.

He staggers and collapses, completely drained of life. Wounds cover his body
from previous battles, and his hair is matted down with blood. His leg is
crushed, and now completely useless. He pulls from his backpack a vial made of
glass, which contains a glowing green liquid, and pours it on his leg. His
whole leg sizzles where the liquid touches, and then is healed. Out of energy,
he rests; restoring what is left of his life.

Suddenly, a white light explodes throughout the room, and nothing can be seen.
As it slowly disappears, a young woman in white robes is there. As she puts
her hand to his body, a brilliant sapphire light emits from it, restoring the
warrior's energy. He snaps up to attention, and with much dignity, bows
before this lady, thanking her for her help.

He then turns, and starts to examine the corpse of his attacker. Finding what
he wants, he pulls out a small bundle of coins, which he tosses into his
backpack. He then turns to the woman, giving her his full attention.

"Thank you my lady. 'Tis very kind of you to help me. I am Draykon."

"I am much obliged. You are quite the gentleman. My name is Aephryel."

"It is lovely to see a ruffian such as yourself who still respects a woman,
but I can handle myself better than you," she says with a smirk. "I heard a
cry of pain, and I came to help."

"Well, thanks again, for I was hurt rather severely," he replies gratefully. "
Be careful around here, for a large beast roams this area, who is half man,
half bull. He is strong beyond compare, and extremely fierce," he says with a
shudder.

"I know. It is the Minotaur you speak of, who killed my father, and I have
sworn to defeat him somehow. My family is of an honorable lineage, and I
strive to meet their high demands."

"Not for me. I was raised in a simple little hut, learning the warrior skills
from my father, who sold firewood. I have a brother named Gollumak, who has
been sent away to a training school. Back in the good old days, my pop and I
cut down huge trees to sell while my brother and ma did housework and made
meals."

"That sounds rather enjoyable compared to the immense standards I must face
everyday."

Extending his hand out towards Aephryel, he asks, "Since you are much learned
in the arts of healing, will you join me in conquest of the Minotaur?"

She hesitates, then agrees. "We will make a fine team, and nothing will stand
in our way. Should we get in trouble, I have a spell or two that just might
save us."

The two adventurers, after resting, continue their journey. Soon, they wander
into a dead end. A large beetle, engulfed in flames, is roaming the area,
looking for food. Draykon prepares himself for another battle, when a dark
figure leaps out of the shadows and thrusts a gleaming dagger into the left
shoulder of the overgrown bug. The creature howls as blood covers the once
beautiful dagger, and sprays the room.

The beetle turns around and faces its attacker, who deftly trips the bug, and
slashes at him again, missing. Although the beetle shreds the young man's leg
with his pincers, the man continues to fight. The thief grabs a small dagger
from his jar, and throws it at the bug, where is sticks into the bug's leg. He
then waves his arm around, tracing lines in the air. Chanting words in an
undertone while pointing at the beetle, he finishes his task and his enemy,
the beetle, collapses in a deep sleep.

The thief then nods at Draykon and Aephryel, and continues his work. He takes
his now blood-soaked dagger, and decapitates the beetle skillfully. The head
rolls on the ground, blood seeping out of the end of it. The body then falls
in a heap on the dirt. The young thief then rips his dagger out of the corpse'
s leg, and sits down with a sigh.

"Hey. M' name is Xavrius. Whaddya doin' in here?" says the thief.

"We are on a quest to vanquish the fierce Minotaur. I am Draykon, and this
fair woman is Aephryel," replies Draykon boldly.

"His evil is very great, and we wish to rid the world of his destruction,"
chimes in Aephryel.

"Ah, I see. I am here to train, and grow stronger. As you see, I am skilled in
the thief arts as well as the spells of a mage, which come in handy. It looks
like you need another in your little party, and I have been brought near to
death by the Minotaur, barely escaping with my life. My motivation is
vengeance; it is fed greatly in every passing moment. We would make a good
team. What say ye?"

The bold warrior blushes, hating the fact that he needs any assistant. He
pretends he didn't hear, and does nothing. The lady cleric, seeing what is
happening, steps forward and volunteers a response.

"We would be happy for your assistance. Although Draykon showed me much
courtesy earlier, I feel he is ashamed of his few shortcomings."

At this, the warrior's face becomes a deep red, and he mutters something about
his self-image under his breath.

Ignoring him, the thief snorts while saying, "I feel honored that you
recognize my worth. And for ye," as he turns to Draykon, "You got to learn
that you hafta take all you can get. Miss Aephryel: I see ya got the clerical
arts. Would ya mind healing me?"

"Why yes of course."

She leans forward towards him clutching his arms. She tenses, using her power,
and a white light fills his body. The tension in his face clears, and his
weakened muscles seem to grow larger.

"Thanks."

He opens his jar, and takes some food out. He hungrily gobbles it down, and
then chugs some water from a flask. It drips down his face and pools on the
ground.

"Let's go find that Minotaur now."

Draykon and Aephryel wander into the room, completely surveying their
surroundings, searching for their prey.

"Where'd Xavrius go?" questions Draykon as he peers around the room.

"Right 'ere," chimes in a voice from the shadows.

"Xav?" asks Draykon.

"Yea, I'm right here. I use the shadows to hide and sneak around, so ya might
not see me, but I'm here. Let's keep goin'."

The Minotaur lowers his head to the dirt, sniffing along unseen lines. He
grunts, and raises his head into the air, sniffing furiously. He then heads
north, and starts running until he finds another fork in the road. Here, a
clear glass vial is on the floor, with a drop of green liquid inside. The
Minotaur grasps it in his hand, examining it. He then roars, and increases his
force upon it, shattering it.

He then moves on, coming upon a large ant. The ant is walking around the room
very territorially, and is ready to attack any that dare challenge him. He
raises his battle-axe into the air, and swipes at the ant, whose body quickly
falls apart to two pieces. The part with the head still struggles to fight,
blood gushing out of it and pooling on the ground. The Minotaur laughs, and
crushes its head in with his hoof.

He grabs his axe and shoves it in the dirt, wiping the blood off it. He wipes
blood off his hoof, and then, shrugging, leaves.

The small band of heroes wanders into another room. Xavrius notices a massive
centipede creeping along the floor, and leaps out at it, thrusting his knife
into its back. Before it can turn around, Draykon kicks its face in, blood
splattering his shiny boots. He mutters something about how long it took him
to shine them, and then proceeds to loot the corpse. Finding what he wants, he
grabs two potions from the corpse, and shoves them into his backpack.

"That was too easy. Somethin' had to attack it before us, making it an easy
battle. I have a bad feeling about this," mentions Xavrius.

"I understand what you are saying," replies Aephryel with a shudder. "Maybe
the Minotaur was here."

"I dunno, but I hate all this waiting. Where is this damn Minotaur that y'all
are talking about?" Draykon asks furiously.

"I don't think we are the hunters anymore," replies Aephryel, "but we've
become the hunted. I have a feeling someone is watching our every move,
waiting for the right moment."

"All I know is that somethin' has been here an attacked that centipede," nods
Xavrius.

"Well let's not worry about it. Let's just keep going. I have heard tales of a
magic shop with various potions and a bakery with exquisite food," Aephryel
says, trying to get off the subject of being hunted. "There are also armor
shops with the toughest armor, and weapon shops with fierce daggers and strong
blades. If we can get there, we would be ready for the battle ahead."

"Aye, I have heard of those tales. But I question their integrity," interjects
Xavrius. "Either way, lets get going."

The Minotaur hurries through his work, sensing an adventurer approaching. He
lays a trap, and skillfully covers it with dirt and grass, rendering it
invisible. He then sets it, and steps back into the shadows, disappearing from
view.

A young ruffian wanders into the room, looking lost. He staggers across the
room, obviously out of breath. His body appears very frail, but his face is
fierce and a flaming shield of heat surrounds him. He takes a wary step, and
SNAP! A trap closes around his leg. As he struggles to free himself, the
Minotaur steps out of his hiding place.

The mage gasps as the Minotaur charges him. Fierce flames leap out at the
Minotaur as he attacks, but he continues. The mage chants something and
thrusts out his hands, which begin to glow red. Suddenly, a burst of various
colors spout from his hands and surround the beast's face, who howls in agony.

The Minotaur shakes his head and struggles to see through the colors. He
blindly swings his axe, slicing the warlock's stomach, eviscerating him and
turning his cloak bright red. Flames burst out at the Minotaur once again, but
he is far too enraged to notice. The mage struggles with another spell, and
bolts of yellow lightning leap forth from his hands and engulf the Minotaur.

With one last burst of energy, the beast decapitates his foe and staggers,
falling to the ground. He gasps for air, realizing he hadn't been breathing.
Suddenly, a necromancer appears and steals the dead warrior's soul, and
disappears just as quickly. The Minotaur searches the corpse, but loudly roars
as he finds nothing.

He stands up, and stretches. The Minotaur then looks around for any more
attackers, and then continues searching for the adventurers.

The small band of adventurers' endurance has been shot. They trudge on
wearily, but soon they will have to rest. They enter a room with only two
exits, and small ones at that. It looks cozy, and is nice in size.

"We can camp here," sighs Draykon. "I'll barricade the exits, Xavrius, you set
up tents, and Aephryel, you can start dinner."

They start their jobs with a sense of renewed joy at the thought of rest.
Draykon covers the eastern exit with a wall of sticks, and uses mud to fill in
the holes. He kicks it with all his might, and it easily holds up. Grinning
with satisfaction, he moves on to the other exit.

Xavrius struggles with a tent, which finally opens. He then quickly puts it
up, having much experience. He stands back surveying his handiwork. His face
fills with a look of satisfaction, and then he pulls another tent out of his
jar, and starts to work on it.

Meanwhile, Aephryel starts a fire, which soon grows to be very large. She
places a few sticks together, forming a crude barbecue. She pulls some bloody
raw meat out of her bag, and puts it to cook. Waiting for the meat to finish,
she pulls out a harp and starts to play. Her music is melodic, and fills the
adventurers' hearts with joy. Every second she is not playing, their hearts
droops with sadness, longing for her to start again. After a few minutes, she
stops and checks the meat, deciding it is done.

"The food is ready," she announces as she puts various spices on it. "This is
my specialty and I think you will enjoy."

The two men quickly turn and grab some, gobbling it down. Sighs of pleasure
can be heard through the disgusting noises of their hunger. Aephryel,
appalled, sophisticatedly pulls out a plate and fork and proceeds to eat her
dinner with manners. Draykon, obviously satisfied and slightly larger around
the waist, mutters something about good food and enters into his tent. Loud
snores emit from his tent, telling of his sleep.

"Well, now that he is asleep," says Xavrius, "maybe you and I could talk."

"Yea, and about what?" replies Aephryel sweetly, nudging Xavrius on.

"So," says Xavrius, struggling to find something to talk about. "What made you
decide to learn the healing arts?"

"Family tradition. My mother and grandmother were both clerics, and so I was
destined. What about you?"

"I was abandoned as a child, and had to survive alone. Fayrken, a skilled
mage, offered me shelter, and in turn, I trained under him as a magic user.
But I soon found thief skills very limiting. I wandered on, in search of
something greater. There I met Trilmac, who I befriended, and lived with for
many years. He is a master of the thieving arts, and some of that rubbed off
onto me."

"Wow. That's a tough story. What a horrible childhood! It seems to have made
you stronger though."

"Yea well," replies Xavrius blushing, "I'm glad you think so."

"I like more than just your fighting abilities."

With that, Aephryel leans forward, and grabs Xavrius' armor. She pulls him up
to her face, and gently kisses him. He reacts to this by wrapping his arms
around her, and continuing this passionate kiss.

"Lets not be too hasty," smiles Aephryel, teasing him and backing away. "We
will have lots of time ahead of us."

Aephryel then returns to creating beautiful music with her harp. Xavrius
listens, completely content, and is lulled into sleep. Aephryel soon realizes
she is the only one awake, and pushes Xavrius, who is sleeping like a baby,
into his tent. She then puts out the campfire and crawls into her tent.

"OK everyone, get up," shouts Xavrius. "We got a lot to do today."

Aephryel and Draykon exit their tents to find a beautiful meal of eggs and
biscuits and steak. All of this is set upon a crude table built by Xavrius,
who has also placed plates and huge mugs of mead. There are three chairs at
the table; two of them are next to each other and one is all alone.

"Good morning sweetie," says Aephryel with a smile and a kiss for Xavrius. "
This looks splendid."

"Well thank you," replies Xavrius, beaming.

"Lets jus' eat", retorts Draykon jealously.

They gather around the table in awe at the magnificent meal, and then quickly
get into their seats and fill their plates. They eat slowly, savoring every
flavor. The mead is also a special surprise, for they rarely have anything but
water. They cherish this whole meal, wishing to remember it for days.

"Late last night I heard some scratching and roaring outside of our barricade.
Something was trying to get, but another beast quickly silenced it," tells
Draykon solemnly. "I think that other beast was the Minotaur. We've been
wandering aimlessly as it followed us. If we go up ahead, and prepare
ourselves for battle, the Minotaur will be an easy target."

"I've been thinking of a plan that centers around that idea," says Xavrius
thoughtfully. "We should go up ahead and I will set a trap. We will wait in
the next room until we hear it snap, then I will go on, hiding in the shadows,
and backstab him. After that, I will give you the signal and you two come in.
Draykon, you attack it with your feet and your sword, and Aephryel, you keep
us from dying with your healing powers. Everyone got it?"

"Sure."

"Yep."

"Lets get going then. While me and Draykon go ahead to set up, Aephryel, I
want you to remove certain parts of our barricade so that when pushed it will
fall through like wet parchment."

"OK."

"OK, everything is ready. Now all we do is wait. Prepare yourselves for a huge
battle. Have some green potions of healing handy, and wear your toughest
armor," advises Xavrius.

SNAP!

"There's our trap. When I give the signal, rush in, but do not attack."

Xavrius starts sneaking, sliding along the walls in the shadows. His exit is
not seen by the other two, nor his entrance. He slowly sneaks up behind the
Minotaur, and slices through his back with his dagger. The Minotaur, who is
struggling with a trap, turns and roars furiously. Blood sprays Xavrius as he
removes his dagger. Panicked, Xavrius quickly chants the incantation for a
spell and points at the Minotaur, who falls to the ground and curls up to
sleep.

"OK, come on in."

Draykon enters warily, followed by Aephryel. They find a nasty scene before
them. The Minotaur, who has a large gaping wound in his back, is lying on the
ground peacefully. Xavrius is there, a little out of breath, and covered in
blood.

"Ready?" asks Xavrius quietly. "The spell will only last for a while so we
have to move quickly. Once I attack, join in."

Xavrius focuses his mind for a second, and points at the Minotaur. Little
clusters of flame surround the Minotaur as a pink outline surrounds him.
Satisfied, Xavrius takes his bloodied dagger and thrusts it in the Minotaur's
skin, which is as hard as rock. The Minotaur, aroused from his sleep, charges
at the first thing he sees: Xavrius. Xavrius quickly clears his mind, and
summons energy to his hands, which begin to glow red. He aims at the Minotaur,
and huge swirls of random spiraling colors encircle the Minotaur's face, who
shrieks and scratches at his eyes.

The Minotaur, still struggling with temporary blindness, swings his axe is
circles around him, preventing any more attacks until he regains his vision.
Xavrius again summons up another spell. Pale yellow energy surrounds his arms,
and he thrusts them out at the Minotaur, and nine large magic missiles smash
into the Minotaur, who staggers further backward with each hit.

The Minotaur, who can now see, turns to Xavrius. Before he can get a decent
hit in, Draykon places a hard kick in his stomach. The Minotaur, only further
enraged, surrounds Xavrius with attacks, who deftly dodges many of them.
However, a few hit their spot, and Xavrius is shrieking in agony, as blood
pours out of his body. Aephryel quickly tries to finish a healing spell, but
is too late as one last hack from the Minotaur leaves Xavrius dead.

Draykon, filled with intense vengeance, rushes for the beast. With one large
swoop he cuts off the Minotaur's arm. Before the Minotaur can react, Draykon
kicks him in the head, and Aephryel, who had been preparing a spell, grasps
the Minotaur's body as her hands flare red. The Minotaur winces in pain, but
turns on to Draykon.

He brings his axe down upon Draykon, but it is parried away. Draykon grabs a
metallic wand from his inventory, and holds it, and then points it at the
beast. It starts to shake and then explodes as several large magic missiles
encircle and smash into the Minotaur. The Minotaur, in return, smashes
Draykon's shoulder with a massive blow.

Draykon quickly wields his sword with his good arm, and thrusts it into the
monster's belly. Aephryel holds her glowing hands up to Draykon, who smiles as
a bright aura surrounds him and removes his wounds. She then collapses, fully
drained of energy.

"You're on your own, Draykon. I have nothing left."

Draykon brings another kick up to the Minotaur's crotch, who howls in agony.
He then summons what energy he has left for one last attack, and jumps toward
the Minotaur. He launches his sword right through the Minotaur's stomach,
quickly retracting it, and faces the Minotaur who looks rather shocked as he
falls backward to the ground. Blood rushes out of the beast's body, who
struggles to speak with them.

His eyes close and his body falls limp. Large wisps of energy are emitted from
his corpse, and surround Aephryel and Draykon. The party realizes they have
just won, and start to celebrate, until they remember Xavrius. Aephryel runs
to his corpse, weeping, and holds him to her body.

"You can't die. I l...loved you," she sobs. "We had a long future ahead of us.
"

Draykon turns, thinking of a way to help her. An idea jumps into his head, and
he runs over to her.

"Don't worry. I have heard of experienced adventurers who have mastered all
forms of fighting called heroes. Some of them even devote their life to
helping the inexperienced, and they call themselves avatars. They have the
powers to resurrect murdered adventurers. If one could come, he would come
back to life."

He turns, and summoning his last bit of energy, and shouts:

"We are in need of the help of a powerful hero to resurrect a friend destroyed
in battle against the Minotaur. His name is Xavrius, and he was a good friend,"
shouts Draykon, his voice trailing off.

Suddenly, the room is filled with a blinding sapphire light. It slowly fades
as mist forms from the ground and engulfs the room. Everyone struggles to see
through the mist, but cannot. As it dissipates, a large man appears. The man
is immense in body, mind, and spirit. His presence fills the room with calm
and joy.

"Hello. My name is Marjoran," he says. He points to the corpse, "Is that
Xavrius?"

"What is left of him, yes," bursts Aephryel through sobs.

"Do not worry young lady, he will soon be back into your company."

Marjoran reaches into his bag and pulls out a bright red stone that seems to
be beating. He holds it and points it towards the corpse of Xavrius. He takes
a big breath, then chants out a few arcane words. Blue energy is drawn from
each of the adventurers, and into Xavrius' body, who takes a large breath and
sits up.

"There. He is not at full health, but he is alive. Am I correct in assuming he
was slain by the Minotaur, who is now dead?"

"Yes. He gave it his all and it destroyed him," replies Aephryel proudly.

A small portal appears, and the hero steps into it, disappearing. Xavrius
stands and faces the group, his armor covered in blood. Aephryel runs over to
him and hugs him, planting a large kiss on his face. He winces in pain, but
manages to grin.

"Draykon," says Xavrius. "Take that axe. It will bring you much fortune. And
as for you," he says as he turns to Aephryel. "We have some catching up to do."

*ONE YEAR LATER*

A small man dashes into the room Xavrius is sitting in. Xavrius struggles with
his hat, which matches his equally splendid clothes.

"We're all ready," the man speaks, through long breaths.

"OK, be there in a sec."

They exit the room together, into a large hall. Pews fill the sides, and a
walkway parts them, covered in a beautiful, velvet carpet. Everyone turns, and
smiles as Xavrius enters the room. At the end of the walkway is Aephryel,
standing graciously, who looks dazzling in a long, flowing white dress,
obviously crafted by elves. A wise old man stands in front of Aephryel,
holding a large book. Organs play as Xavrius walks up the aisle, and takes his
place next to Aephryel.

"Then with the power vested in me, I pronounce you man and wife. You may now
kiss the bride."

Xavrius turns, and wraps his arms wrap around Aephryel as he gives her a long,
passionate kiss. The audience cheers. Flowers burst into the air in large
handfuls, and scatter as they fall. Trumpets blare, and Aephryel, holding her
hand behind her back, throws the bouquet into a mass of screaming women.

"I love you Xavrius."

"I love you too Aephryel. May our time together be happy and joyous."

Meanwhile, a large man with a black cloak screams as Draykon's sword thrashes
into him. Draykon waves his hands in the air, which begin to glow yellow. A
massive shockwave bursts forth from his hands, and engulfs the dark warlock.
As it disappears, all that is left is a pile of ashes. Large wisps of energy
spout of the corpse and surround Draykon, and he seems to get stronger and
wiser simultaneously.

You feel a voice in your head, as the illustrious god Kylrathin tells you of
the wondrous news. "Draykon is the newest hero in Medievia. His strength is
unmatched by all. Be sure to congratulate him," says the little voice. "Also,
a new couple has been made as Xavrius and Aephryel were united in holy
matrimony."

And all is joyous after all. Revenge has been fulfilled, good has won, new
love has sprung up, and another hero has emerged from the darkness.